Director of Food & Beverage
at Pullman Jakarta Indonesia
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E : Describe your typical day in a sentence.
Andri: My day starts by doing my routines, walking through all of the F&B areas, from ballroom and meeting rooms in banquet, lounges and restaurants to the kitchen areas. Afterwards, we have a morning briefing with all division heads and the general manager. We continue with our internal team briefing to highlight the operation standards for the day. These starts will determine how the day will be.
E : So how did you come to be the F&B director at Pullman Jakarta Indonesia?
Andri: I started my career from being a bartender at Amara Hotel Singapore in 1995. Back to Jakarta, I joined the Jakarta American Club in 1997. In 2001, after the monetary crisis hit Asia, I decided to join Royal Caribbean International, a cruise line in the USA, where I gained more experience and developed my career abroad for five years. Coming back to Indonesia, I joined Hotel Nikko Jakarta in 2006 as lounge manager, and then I was assigned to Medan to open JW Marriott Medan as beverage manager in 2008. After that I continued with JW Marriott Jakarta in 2010 as restaurant manager, and the following year I was made Director of Restaurants. And in 2012, I joined The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta as Assistant Director of F&B for two years and was later appointed as director. Here I am now.
E : What’s the toughest part of your job?
Andri: Maintaining consistency is the most challenging part. The most rewarding part is when we can do better than ourselves before.
E : And what makes you smile at work?
Andri: The guest who always complains, but he/she keeps coming back to us. Hospitality is our trade. At Pullman Jakarta Indonesia, we are ambitious to serve our guests.
E : What motivates you?
Andri: We make the impossible possible, and we have fun doing it. What motivates me the most is, of course, my little family.
E : Would things fall apart if you weren’t around?
Andri: A successful leader finds a way to make the team able to keep operations running when he is not around. So he needs to ensure that he delegates to the team members properly. I always expect my team will run the show whenever I am not around. I have complete trust in them.
E : Who, in your team, deserves more recognition and why?
Andri: The front-liners. They are the key people who, in most cases, become the deciding factor as to whether our guests will return or not.
E : Why should people choose Pullman Jakarta Indonesia to stay or dine?
Andri: Because we are situated right at the centre of one of the city’s most iconic spots. We are located in the centre of a business district. We are the trendsetter of new F&B concepts with great products and services. What else do you expect?
E : Away from work, what’s your favourite place to eat?
Andri: Anywhere as long as I am with my family. But there is a small Indonesian restaurant called Kedai that we’ve been going to a lot.
E : How do you unwind?
Andri: Being with my family. Spending some quality time with them and trying new restaurants or going to a movie with them.
E : Finally, any advice for those looking to break into the industry?
Andri: “Start from the end with your passion”. Meaning we should start everything while having our goal set as the end of our journey.
